FREMONT — A 27-year-old motorcyclist died early Thursday in a multi-vehicle crash that closed a stretch of Interstate 880 in Fremont for almost three hours, a California Highway Patrol officer said.

Hayward resident Ricardo Lavender was killed just before 1:30 a.m. when the Honda motorcycle he was riding rear-ended a Nissan Altima on northbound I-880 near the north Fremont Boulevard exit and flipped several times, CHP Officer Tara Graham said.

Lavender, who was wearing a helmet and other safety gear, was thrown from his cycle and remained on the roadway until the coroner showed up an hour later. Witnesses said the motorcyclist was speeding, possibly going as fast as 100 mph, she said.

Seconds after the crash, two drivers tried to avoid the scene and their cars ended up hitting each other, she said. Neither driver was hurt, Graham said.

CHP officers were dispatched to the scene at 1:24 a.m., and 10 minutes later they closed all northbound lanes. All traffic was diverted onto city streets until 4:10 a.m., when the roadway was reopened, she said.

Graham, who is investigating the crash, said she “didn’t see any indications that alcohol or drugs were involved.”

Anyone with information may call the CHP Hayward office at (510) 489-1500.

Staff writer Ben Aguirre Jr. covers police and the courts for The Argus. He can be reached at (510) 353-7011 or baguirre@angnewspapers.com.